airway
airway — noun
- airwaysingular
- airwaysplural
1. the tube-like channel running from your nose down through the throat, allowing b
the tube-like channel running from your nose down through the throat, allowing breath to travel in and back from your lungs
The paramedic tilted Asher's chin up to keep his airway open.
collocation: keep someone's airway open
A small piece of carrot blocked the toddler's airway during dinner.
collocation: block / clear the airway
Smoke from the kitchen fire irritated Rachel's airway and made her cough.
The nurse used a soft tube to clear the baby's airway after birth.
Severe allergies can cause the airway to swell within minutes.
- respiratory tract
more technical; covers the whole system from nose to lungs
- windpipe
informal for the trachea; only the lower part of the airway
用法筆記
Frequently appears in medical and first-aid contexts with verbs like open, clear, block, secure, and protect.
常見錯誤
2. a fixed path in the sky that planes are told to follow when flying between two p
a fixed path in the sky that planes are told to follow when flying between two places, set by air traffic controllers
The pilot stayed on the assigned airway until reaching Frankfurt.
collocation: on / off the airway
A summer storm forced the captain to leave the main airway over the Atlantic.
Most flights from Tokyo to Seoul share the same busy airway.
Air traffic control redirected Layla's plane to a quieter airway.
Several airways cross the desert between Dubai and Mumbai.
- flight path
more general; covers any aircraft route, including landings
- air lane
near-synonym; both name a fixed corridor for planes
- skyway
less technical; mostly journalistic
用法筆記
Subject is usually a plane, pilot, flight, or controller. Distinguish from sense 3 (an airline company): an airway here is a path in the sky, not a business.
3. a company whose business is flying passengers between cities; the word almost al
a company whose business is flying passengers between cities; the word almost always appears as part of an airline's name, such as British Airways
British Airways announced ten new routes from London to East Africa.
almost always in proper-noun company names, usually plural
Tanvi books her trips to Sydney with Qantas Airways every winter.
Pakistan International Airways began flights to Beijing last year.
The airway lost three of its planes after the volcano closed the airport.
- airline
the standard everyday word; use this in conversation
- air carrier
formal industry term for any company that flies passengers or cargo
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (a route in the sky): sense 3 names a business, not a path. In everyday English, learners should normally choose 'airline' instead — 'airway' in this meaning survives mostly in fixed company names.